{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/td9n29q17x/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Rejin Leys Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eRejin Leys is a visual artist who lives and works in Jamaica, Queens. Her parents came from Haiti in the 1950s and her family has lived in Jamaica, Queens more than 20 years. In this interview, she talks about the activities she has hosted to spread art in Queens and how it has helped her bond with the community. She also talks about the struggles she has faced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and how adapting to it was easier than she initially thought.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/44220"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2021-02-18 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Video"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Rejin Leys (Interviewee)","Heejung Cho (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["1950s-2021 (temporal)","Jamaica, Queens, NY (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eRejin Leys is a visual artist who lives and works in Jamaica, Queens. Her parents came from Haiti in the 1950s and her family has lived in Jamaica, Queens more than 20 years. In this interview, she talks about the activities she has hosted to spread art in Queens and how it has helped her bond with the community. She also talks about the struggles she has faced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and how adapting to it was easier than she initially thought.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/120/337/small/Heejung_RejinLeys.mp4_1627495532.jpg?1627481134","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - Heejung_RejinLeys.mp4"]},"duration":1931.6,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/120/337/small/Heejung_RejinLeys.mp4_1627495532.jpg?1627481134","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/120/337/original/Heejung_RejinLeys.mp4?1627481131","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1931.6,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So we're gonna record the interview with the Rejin Leys and I am going to ask you a question now. Do you agree to the terms and conditions outline in the Queens Memory informed consent form and copyright permission form that I shared with you over email?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1.0,22.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yes, I do.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=22.0,24.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Okay. This is Heejung Cho with the Rejin Leys. We are recording on February 18th for the Queens Memory Project. Could you say your full name and spell it?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=24.0,36.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yes. My name is Rejin Leys R E J I N, L E Y S.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=36.0,45.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So I made it 10 questions. So first the question is about you as an artist. So what type of art do you create?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=45.0,57.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: So I mostly make drawings and mixed media work on paper and I'm also a paper maker.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=57.0,71.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So what inspires you to make your arts in generally, so every day?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=71.0,78.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Well, I've always liked to draw and I have come to see drawing as a way of understanding the world. Like when you're a visual thinker, you kind of process things. You process things visually obviously, and I understand the world by redrawing it myself, basically.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=78.0,105.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Re-drawing from your drawing too sometimes?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=105.0,108.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: I do, actually I draw from my own drawings and I remixed things and I kind of put different things together to see what the juxtaposition suggests. So I work a lot from my archive and my own ideas and notes.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=108.0,133.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So the medium is always changing or for like a drawing. What do you use mostly?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=133.0,141.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: I've actually started adding a lot of paint to my drawings, but you know I often mix up a lot of things, so there might be pencil and collage and, and some paint and sometimes printmaking as well. And I also do printmaking so often a work has a little of everything in it,\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=141.0,168.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: But can I ask what type of a printmaking? So like there are many like etching or a block printmaking. Yeah. Which one do you use mostly?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=168.0,177.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: I don't have access to a lot of equipment in my home studio. So when I'm doing mixed media work, I'll often print like I might print small relief plates onto a drawing. In the past I've also done silk screening myself and I've, worked more recently. I've worked with a master printer and produced some additions of silk screen prints.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=177.0,211.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Cool. And then do you have your practice sometimes related to the location and neighborhood of Southeast Queens? Do you have any experience with that?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=211.0,226.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Well, there's a couple of projects that I do that are kind of social in nature. So my biggest project of the last few years before the pandemic hit was a mobile paper-making studio. So for years, I taught paper-making to a lot of different groups and different organizations. And in more affluent areas, I would often work with children who were like, Oh, I've done this before in school. Or, you know, let me, I already know what I'm doing, but you know, kids in my neighborhood don't have opportunities like that. And there weren't a lot of organizations in the area that even understood what I was offering. So like, I might teach this for an organization in like New Hampshire, but not really in Jamaica. So I decided to put my whole kit on a rolling cart. And actually starting with Jamaica flux a few years ago, I started rolling it out into the neighborhood and people can walk up to me and learn to make recycled paper.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=226.0,307.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So you set up the workshop on the street in public, so then people come to you and wow, that's amazing. So did you make your own cart\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=307.0,320.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: I bought a, like a hardware store cart and customized it a little bit. I added a flap that opens up, so the surface is bigger and then everything is the whole studio is kind of scaled down. So we've got small paper making with small molds and deckles and everything is recycled. So I like to talk about most everything I use. People could find a home if they wanted to do it so we can, you know, see what's in the recycling bin and talk about resources and where things come from. I mean, part of it is, is educational, but part of it was also motivated by wanting to kind of meet people here and interact with people, you know, cause mostly you only meet your neighbors who are, you know, working at the store. Right. Most of our interactions are commerce. So this kind of gave me a way to share what I know with my neighbors and also to meet them and, have conversations. So I almost feel like I'm tricking people by, you know, needs to make them come and talk to me.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=320.0,411.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So did you document the workshop performance. What form did you use to record?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=411.0,422.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Well a few sessions have been photographed. There are some short videos of some of the sessions and I have a lot of the papers in the archives.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=422.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Well, they made it just to leave it behind?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=436.0,442.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: In some of the sessions, I would kind of wrap everything up for people so they could take it home with them. And mostly when I'm working with kids, they want their own paper. But also sometimes I would just have a lot of samples that I've made in the past. So if people, you know, if it's not convenient for people to carry their wet paper home, they can also make one and leave it behind and take an already dry one with them. So it was also a nice exchange. And then there's all kinds of things you can add to paper to make it more decorative. So I would have a whole kind of menu of things people could add. So they weren't just making what everyone else had. They could kind of customize their own, their own look in a way.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=442.0,494.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Wow. It sounds very interesting. I actually want to learn how to do the modeling.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=494.0,501.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Oh yeah that's fun.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=501.0,502.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Yeah. And also I have a lot of question about that, that performance, you know, the kinds of a workshop, you know, buy I wanna ask you one question about what's actually rise. I mean, the different audience where your students, the, by the region, you said you taught the many different groups from different regions, but what's a favorite part of working in the Southeast Queens region and how does it differ from other regions?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=502.0,543.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: I mean, I don't think people are that different from one area to another. One thing I really loved about working here is that sometimes I would come across the same person more than once, and they could come back to me like if I'm, if I'm teaching in, you know, in Manhattan or, you know, some are even farther away. I usually only see people once, but by working in the neighborhood, I was able to develop a relationship with people a little more. Um, and, um, you know, a couple of times over the years, I've shown work at the art center. So I can, you know, if I'm doing a session, I can say, I can tell people to come to the art center and see more work like that. Or, um, in the, in the, in the original sessions with Jamaica, flux, I even, you know, was going to hang up some of the paper that people made with me, so they could come and see their own work. So\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=543.0,612.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Like, you can actually bump into the people, they recognize you, Oh, you taught this and you're the artist. So becoming more popular in that area.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=612.0,622.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: At least it was, I wanted to give people a feeling like if you live in, I don't know, in park slope or Greenwich village, you know, there's events, right? There's like things that you might run into that are interesting quirky art things. But there, there was nothing like that here. So I wanted to give people their own, you know, this project is headquartered here. This is like for, for you. So, um, of course with the pandemic, I can't ask people to all put their hands in the same vat. Right. So, you know, for now the project is at home, but I'm hoping one day we'll be able to do it again.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=622.0,671.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Oh, you still keeping that the cart, you're like a workshop\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=671.0,676.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: It's in my garage for now.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=676.0,678.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Oh, nice. Okay. You know, next time you go, like after pandemic, I going to be with you too. I want to be really participating in that session too. I mean, not just the learning kind of helped to allow that for the meeting people and yeah. I can document them too, so that'd be wonderful.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=678.0,696.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Cool, great. Like the artwork that's behind me was done as part of a session that was supposed to be a live event earlier last year that we had to move online. So it was all done kind of as a live stream and everything had to be kind of videotaped and narrated instead of done interactively, but it was for an event that was supposed to be in, in flushing and it was going to be trilingual. So instead of, um, instead of having people make the paper, I kind of did it and then sent it to people who asked for it. But the paper it's got the poem from the statue of Liberty on it in three languages, shredded, and then added to the blue paper. So that like the white looking stuff you see is shredded paper added back into the paper. Wow. And then, so\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=696.0,763.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Each paper is a made up by a different person and send it to you or you collect them\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=763.0,768.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: The project. I did everything because you couldn't do it interactive, but ordinarily everyone, you know, everyone who comes up to me would get to make them,\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=768.0,778.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: What about the green drawing on top then? Like\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=778.0,781.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: The green is the statue of Liberty linoleum print. I've made a little linoleum cut. And then after the paper was dry, I printed it on each sheet.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=781.0,793.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Wow. So each one has a different languages and different, um, the, at the same, but like in different languages, is that\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=793.0,802.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Right? It was an organization called the Korea art forum that was doing the project and they got funding to bring the project to immigrant communities in flushing. So everything, the whole project was translated into English, Chinese, and Korean. So I had the poem translated into Chinese and Korean and then printed it up and put it in a paper shredder. And so you can't read the whole poem obviously on the paper, but you can kind of get hints,\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=802.0,840.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Like a hint of it, like a letter, character, some part in the shredded paper. Yes. That's wonderful. Yeah. Thank you. Um, so, uh, for the more like a personal, um, the question that, can you share the, your history of your family? Like if you came from, I mean, came from different country or your family came from different country, can you share that story?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=840.0,865.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yeah. Um, I was, uh, I was born here in Brooklyn. Actually, my family came from Haiti, um, and the late 1950s or so, and, um, uh, first at first lived in Brooklyn, um, and then came here to Queens in the sixties. So I'm actually, um, once again in the house where I grew up with my family since the 1960s after moving, I've kind of gone back and forth between Brooklyn and Queens several times over the years. So I've been back here in Queens for about 10 years.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=865.0,922.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Um, so who came here first time from the Haiti?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=922.0,928.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: My parents did and my mom and dad together, they were not together yet. But coincidentally, they both arrived in 1959 and met later.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=928.0,941.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Oh, wow. Okay. But they're, both of them came from the same, but they didn't know each other before\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=941.0,948.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: They didn't know each other, but they, um, they knew each other's families.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=948.0,952.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Ah, okay. Oh, that's cool. And, um, this is actually more like a documenting, you know, I, uh, and then use as a reference in my art too. Um, but can you share the, the photo of, uh, your family with the parents, you know, like it'll be really wonderful to see a back then 1960 or 50, like any like a group of a family photo in front of your house or some location near like a neighborhood. Caan you send me some?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=952.0,989.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yeah.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=989.0,991.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: I'm not going to just say you posted in the library. You're going to be more like using as a reference. And then maybe if you accept it I can do exhibition together next to my piece. So then I want to know, I want to show my work is it came from this a four or something. So it may be, it's not actually fixed idea, but then I'm going to ask you one more times if I use it as a researching documentation in the gallery, you know, later, so.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=991.0,1026.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Sure. Okay.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1026.0,1027.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Thank you. Okay. So has your experience a memory of a history your family history is affected your art practice too? Or do you think about that the Heidi, you know, you, but you had to travel to the Heidi sometime to like visiting some other family?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1027.0,1050.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yeah, I've been particularly when I was a student. I went back and forth a few times. My mother worked for the UN and they sent everyone on vacation every other year. So she used to, we used to travel a lot, but never for very long. Later in my twenties I went for a little longer but a lot of my work related to kind of immigration issues for awhile. And there was during the, there was a coup d’èta in the nineties and I did a lot of work about the refugee crisis. And you know, there was the boat before before as a current you know, before the more recent Wars a lot of refugees, refugees were kept a Guantanamo. So I did a lot of work relating to that. And more, more recently kind of have reflected about immigration and migration in general in my work and kind of how climate crisis and sea level rise affects, you know? Right, right. I guess Island Island nations in general, I Island I live in places.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1050.0,1141.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So you still have a connection to that. The Haiti, uh, there, like, um, you know, history and politics, and right now it's an issue in there. So they, some you're just reading some news or are you just like hearing from your family and friends there? How do you get the resource or the contact to them?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1141.0,1162.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Mostly news, mostly news. I don't have a lot of very close connections. Right. I'm not in very close touch with my family there these days. So mostly, mostly from the news.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1162.0,1177.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Okay. So what's the most important issue you are focusing on right now about that? Not only just the, maybe Heidi immigrants., and it's not only the Haiti immigrants, right. It's broader to other countries's immigrants too so what are you focusing on in your art more?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1177.0,1206.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Sorry. I mean, it's actually out of it.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1206.0,1208.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: I should've thought about this before now. I've kind of been, um, I mean, I guess like the way climate change is going to affect every, like all the issues are brought together under climate change kind of. Right. So, um, I've really been interested in the way sea level rise kind of means the world is changing in a way, but yet it always has, because we tend to think of the world and kind of geography as being very, but we know like continents have always shifted and borders have always changed. So there've always been refugees and now there are climate refugees and, like we all have to adapt. So I've been thinking a lot about like water and how water is kind of a medium that we all move through. So over time and over history.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1208.0,1279.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Right. Right. So it's not only just the islands of many people on the continent they have, I mean they have the intention to move to one place to another, maybe the many different reasons, but you focusing on more like natural climate changes. So then we should move through with that. Cause to me also very like interesting the immigrant I mean not the focusing only, but more like attached to that. The feeling that they're all came from different hometown. So then how they settle down, you know, why they chose to here and now, how do you feel, you know this is different than their expected, you know, and more like focusing on more like their own intention and dreams and plans. So I think it's a little different than you may be you focusing on like more of that, the natural flow, you know, people's move by maybe more necessary, you know, maybe they didn't choose, but they should. I mean, the refugee, you know, as me mentioned, so that's a very interesting to hear, you know, it's an aspect in the immigrants.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1279.0,1360.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yeah and also like, you know, the last few years in particular immigrants have been very vilified here and yet, you know, like the strength of immigrants is the, you know, this kind of ability to adapt that everyone else is going to have to learn from, if, you know, soon all coastal areas could be flooded and you're going to have to get up and go. So the same people that you might've been terrified, you're, you know, you'd be better off if you would learn from them instead. So not very concretely, like, I feel like it comes through a lot more when I talk about it, but like, I'm also very material based. So the images are kind of more intuitive. They're not researched or, you know, they're not very didactic,\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1360.0,1428.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Same here too, is that artists actually researching something, but only like just to follow the feeling I'm very intuition, so not really planning, but just like between the conversation, we can actually go into more deeply and find out something unexpectedly. So I love that. Okay. So about more now is the COVID, you know, that has COVID-19 affected your art-making or your family everyday life right now, how do you impact on it?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1428.0,1464.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Well, I had, uh, before COVID I had a studio outside that I would go to every day and the, it was actually at J Cal and they shut the building down. So I went back to working at home. Um, I live in a multi-family with them, with my mother, um, and my brother and my mother is retired. So we're all pretty much home all the time now. Um, and last spring, when schools shut down, my son came home and he was home. Like we were all just home. So I was working in my studio, but a lot of the things that I had planned were canceled. So there was literally nowhere to go because everything I would have wanted to go to was closed and all of my teaching work disappeared. The only silver lining was that a lot of the organizations I was working with figured out ways to move their programming online. Right. So instead of live, I did some things by a live stream or presented things digitally. So there were a few projects that went ahead anyway which were learning opportunities for me. Yeah, but like, by and large, we've just been all very isolated.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1464.0,1575.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Yeah. I think so. Because of the pandemic we are accepting the new platform, you know, like, I don't think I don't know, in my view, I don't think it's going to be go away, even though pandemic is over. I mean, maybe the having like both in person and virtual, alternatively all the time, because there's a people moving around and then also we are far, so then yeah. That's actually good access, but right now, we are all staying home, but hopefully you had a good time with the whole family gathering, you know, it's actually longer than expected.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1575.0,1614.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yeah.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1614.0,1617.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Good, good. Very good.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1617.0,1619.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Sure. That, um, uh, like all these, you know, exhibitions and events that wouldn't have been accessible to people who live far away, or maybe to people who have, you know, different abilities and can't show up to everything, putting them online, made them more accessible. So I hope that a lot of these organizations keep doing either hybrid or live streaming things they're doing live as well. Like what we're doing now, shouldn't go away. It should just be added, you know, doing things live should be added back in at some point. I hope,\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1619.0,1657.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: I think so too, because it's a, that's a very big a strengthener. Right. I think I see now that people do the artists talk and artist studio visit. So in the live Instagram live or zoom, whatever, then it's really working, well, I thought like very skeptical at the beginning then right now. Yeah. I see a good opportunity anyway, you know, but yeah. So how do you reach to the community friends and not not only the family, like our community that you said you lost the many connections in person or teaching opportunity to, but how do you make an effort to keeping up with them, you know, or where you're planning or like what your experience with them now?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1657.0,1708.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Well, there's two networks of artists that I was connected to before. One group would meet every month or so to exchange studio visits. And I'm pretty early in the pandemic. We just started doing it over zoom anyway. And there were two, at least two people were teaching far away. So it was great for them because I didn't always have to miss everything. So we actually had better attendance for our, for our virtual studio visits than for the in-person get togethers, which was, which was nice and the other group as well, we, um, it's the group that organized the exhibition that's up currently. So we kind of organized also via zoom and as curator for the project, I was in touch with everyone a lot. So I didn't feel it did, I didn't feel so isolated because I was working with everyone anyway. Good, good.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1708.0,1782.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: So can you share the next plan for your career? So it could be the curator curation some show or some workshop after Pandemic, you know, what are you going to do?\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1782.0,1796.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Well, I'm really looking forward to taking the pulpMobile paper-making cart out again and figuring out safe ways to work with people in the neighborhood. I'm hoping there will be a time when, when we can, work closely together and not feel, not feel afraid. Cause even, you know, I know people are talking about not even wanting to shake hands again ever, but I'm hoping that you don't be afraid at some point to work closely together. So I'm looking forward to that. And also during the pandemic I ,the master printer, I was working with, moved to Austin and, we managed to do one collaboration remotely. So I'm really looking forward to either working remotely with him again, or he is hoping to have his artists start coming to visit to work on prints together. So I'm going to ask,\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1796.0,1869.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Yeah, you got it. Yeah.\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1869.0,1871.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nRejin Leys: Yeah. And I have friends in a few places that we're looking forward to starting to meet again. So I'm looking forward to leaving New York for a little while, at least\n\n","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1871.0,1889.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337/transcript/31550/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\nHeejung Cho: Like a normal, you know, like a, not like this, you know, and like more freely walking around and meeting people in person. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Thank you so much. That's actually all, we went through like whole questions and yeah, I, so I think it's really wonderful to hear your from the beginning now, like as artists and family and the plan too. And I want to actually talk with you more, you know, after this interview. So, um, I gonna stop recording here and we're going to maybe do go through the, the, maybe the one website we have to fill out the form together. So I'm going to end the recording now.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/46941/file/120337#t=1889.0,1931.6"}]}]}]}